Apparatus for removing ice from the surface of a road or the like



ct. 1954 F. H. REAM APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ICE FROM THE SURFACE OF A ROPE) OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1949 JNVENTOR. FEED H. 250M Arne/ww- F. H. REAM APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ICE FROM THE SURFACE OF A ROAD OR THE LIKE Filed March 28, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FEED R F/7M irraz/vEy- Patented Oct. 5, 1954 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ICE FROM THE SURFACE OF A ROAD OR THE LIKE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for removing ice from the surface of a road and for like purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will effectivel and rapidly remove ice or packed snow from the surface of the road.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and which will remov ic from substantially the full width of a trafiic lane of a road upon a single passage of the vehicle over that lane.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus having a plurality of relatively movable cutting elements and means for simultaneously operating said elements in a predetermined sequence.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which will remove the loosened ice from the roadway.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus Which can be mounted on a road scraper in lieu of the usual scraper blade.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is simple in construction and operation and can be produced at a relatively low cost.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a road scraper showing the ice removing apparatus mounted thereon; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the ice removing apparatus; Fig. 4 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the series of cutting elements; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the cutting elements and their actuating devices.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as mounted on a road scraper of standard construction from which the scraper blade has been removed, but it is to be understood that the apparatus may be mounted on a vehicle of any suitable type and that the apparatus as a whole, as Well as the several parts thereof, may take various forms and may be used for removing various substances from roads or other surfaces, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The apparatus comprises a series of cutting elements, means for supporting said cutting elements on a vehicle in a line, or substantially in a line, transverse to the line of movement of the vehicle and means for actuating the several cutting elements to cause the same to engage and loosen ice or other material which is to be removed from the surface over which the vehicle moves. In the particular embodiment here illustrated the several parts of the apparatus are assembled as a unit which may be detachably secured to the vehicle. The unit comprises an elongate supporting structure ID having means whereby it may be detachably secured to a vehicle in a position transverse to the line of movement of the latter, and is here shown as a bar H-shaped in cross section. A plurality of cutting elements I I are individually and movably supported on the supporting structure and preferably each cutting element is provided at one end thereof with a bearing [2 through which extends a supporting shaft I 3 on which the several elements have individual pivotal movement. In the arrangement shown the shaft 13 is rigidly mounted in a series of brackets M secured to the supporting structure and extending forwardly therefrom, the arrangement being such that the cutting elements are supported in an upright position. The several cutting elements are substantially identical in form and size and are here shown as elongate and relatively narrow in form and as curved rearwardly on a relatively long radius about an axis spaced forwardly therefrom. The upper portion I5 of each cutting element is relatively thin and is reinforced by a rearwardly extending rib [5a. At its lower end each cutting element has a thickened portion [6 which extends forwardly and downwardly and is provided at its forward end with a cutting edge ii, the arrangement being such that the movement of the cutting element forwardly about its pivotal axis will caus the cutting edge I! thereof to move into engagement with and to loosen ice on the road surface.

Any suitable means may be provided for actuating the several cutting elements. Preferabl the cutting elements are individually actuated in a predetermined sequence. The actuating devices may be of any suitable character and may be operated in any suitable manner. In the present instance an actuating shaft 19 is rotatably mounted in brackets 21 secured to and extending rearwardly from the supporting structure ID. A series of actuating devices are mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, and preferably each actuating device comprises a member I8 secured to the actuating shaft lit in a position eccentric to the axis of that shaft and is adapted to impart reciprocal movement to a connecting member which is connected with the corresponding cutting element. The actuating members [3 are here shown as circular in form and each member is rotatably mounted in a circular opening in an enlarged rear portion, or strap, 2! of the corresponding connecting member, so that the actuating member is positively moved in both directions. The connecting members 20 are pivotally connected at their forward ends with the respective cutting elements and in the present instance each cutting element is provided inthe rear end of the thickened portion [6 thereof with a rearwardly facing cavity 22 and with bearing openings 23 at the opposite sides of the cavity. The forward end of each connecting rod is provided with a circular enlargement 2d adapted to extend into the cavity 22 in the corresponding cutting element and has a transverse opening to receive a pivot pin 25, the end portions of which extend into the respective bearing openings. The forward end of the cavity and the forward portion of the enlarged forward end of the connecting member are described about the axis of the pivot pin 25' so that the end of the connecting member has direct contact with the enlarged portion of the cutting element and the forward thrust of the connecting member is exerted directly on the cutting element, and the pivot pin is relieved of much of the strain to which it would otherwise be subjected. Preferably the cutting elements are arranged in groups and the actuating devices for the respective cutting elements of each group are so positioned about the axis of the actuating shaft I9 that the cutting elements of each group are caused to successively engage the ice, each cutting element being moved into engagement with the ice and then retracted upon each complete rotation of the actuating shaft. The actuating shaft may be driven by power from any suitable source and as here shown a motor, such as an internal combustion engine 25a, is mounted on the supporting structur I!) and drivingly connected with the actuating shaft, as by gears 25.

The cuttin edge of each cutting element moves through an are having a relatively long radius, the are being so positioned with relation to the axis of the cutting element that the lowest portion thereof will be close to the road surface but spaced slightly therefrom to prevent the cutting edge from engaging the pavement. In the illustrated arrangement the actuating mechanism imparts to the cutting elements relatively short fore and aft movements about their axes in rapidly recurring cycles, thus moving the cutting edge of each cutting element in an arcuate path. The cutting edge of each cutting element is arranged directly below the axis thereof and the intermediate portion of said arcuate path is substantially in the vertical plane of the axis, and the path is spaced from said such a distance that said intermediate portion of said path is close to the road surface. If the layer of ice extends rear wardly beyond the cutting edge of the cutting element, as it usually will at the beginning of an ice removing operation, the cutting edge will engage the upper surface of the layer of ice and cut through the same to a line close to the road surface and then forwardly and upwardly, so as to sever and remov a portion of the ice. After this initial portion of the ice has been removed the cutting edge will engage the rear edge of the layer of ice close to the road surface and move forwardly and upwardly beneath a portion of ice to remove the same.

The series of cutting elements is here shown as extending at an acute angle to the line of movement of the vehicle but the apparatus is adjustable about a vertical axis to selected positions at various angles to the line of movement of the vehicle, as will hereinafter appear. The several cutting elements are arranged close one to the other, or in actual contact one to the other, so as to provide the series of cutting elements with a substantially continuous and substantially smooth longitudinal forward surface which as above pointed out is rearwardly curved. As the apparatus moves forwardly the ice which has been loosened by the cutting elements, or a substantial part thereof, moves onto this longitudinal surface and will move toward one end of the series of cutting elements and be discharged from the roadway, this movement being particularly effective when the apparatus is supported at an acute angle to the line of movement of the vehicle. The relative movements of the, cutting elements agitates the mass of ice which has accumulated thereon and facilitates the movement of the latter toward the end of the apparatus.

The ice removing apparatus is here shown as adapted to be mounted on a road scraper in lieu of the usual scraper blade and to be adjusted with relation to the vehicle by the usual adjusting mechanism for the scraper blade. Thus the apparatus may be manufactured and sold as an attachment for a road scraper and inasmuch as road maintaining agencies usually own one or more road scrapers those agencies may be equipped with the ice removing apparatus at a relatively low cost.

Road scrapers take various forms but as a rule such a scraper includes a longitudinal frame 28 supported at its forward end by steering wheels 29 and supported at its rear end, not here shown, by traction wheels which are driven by a power plant on said rear portion of the frame. A draw bar 30 is connected at its forward end with the forward end of the frame by a universal coupling 3| and comprises rearwardly diverging side members 32, the rear ends of which are rigidly connected one to the other by a cross member 33. A so-called circle gear or ring 34 is supported by and below the rear portion of the draw bar and has secured thereto downwardly extending arms 35 on which the scraper blade is usually mounted and on which the supporting structure for the ice removing apparatus may be mounted when the scraper blade has been removed, as shown in Fig. 1. Rotary movement is imparted to the circle gear to change the angle of the scraper blade, and therefore of the ice removing apparatus, with relation to the line of movement of the vehicle and for this purpose a gear 36 which meshes with the internal gear teeth of the circle gear is driven through gearing 3'! by a hydraulic motor 33 rotatably mounted on the frame 39. Above the rear portion of the draw bar are two shafts 39 having at their ends laterally extending crank arms 40 which are connected by pivoted links 41 with the respective ends of the cross member 33 of the draw bar. Also mounted on the frame 28 is a third shaft i2 having a downwardly extending crank arm 43 which is pivotally connected by a link 44 with one end of the transverse member 33. The shafts 39 and 42 are preferably rotated by separately controlled hydraulic motors, one of which is shown at 55. Thus it will be apparent that when the two shafts 39 are rotated in unison the rear end of the draw bar will be raised or lowered and when one of said shafts is rotated with relation to the other that side of the draw bar connected with the rotating shaft will be raised or lowered with relation to the other side of the draw bar, and when the shaft 42 is rotated the rear portion of the draw bar will be moved laterally in a horizontal plane. Consequently when the ice removing apparatus is connected with the blade supporting arms 35 on the circle gear the apparatus can be adjusted to different angles with relation to the line of movement of the vehicle, can be tilted to conform to the surface of the road or can be moved transversely to the road surface, as desired.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention 1 wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for performing work upon the surface of a road, the combination comprising a supporting vehicle having a frame provided with a rotatable ring horizontally mounted on the lower portion thereof, a supporting shaft carried substantially horizontal by the ring, a plurality of surface engaging elements pivotally attached to the supporting shaft substantially normal thereto, an actuating shaft provided with a series of eccentric members thereon and rotatably supported by the ring substantially parallel to the supporting shaft, a plurality of actuating arms, there being one actuating arm for each surface engaging element, each actuating arm having one end thereof pivotally attached to one of the surface engaging elements and the other end thereof rotatably attached to one of the eccentric members, the eccentric members being arranged in successive positions longitudinally and angularly upon the actuating shaft, and means for rotating the actuating shaft, rotation of the actuating shaft thus resulting in successive and progressive movement of the surface engaging elements.

2. An apparatus for performing work on the surface of the ground, the combination comprising a vehicle having a frame, a pivotally adjustable supporting member attached to the frame, a first shaft carried substantially horizontal by the supporting member, a plurality of surface engaging elements pivotally attached to the shaft, an actuating shaft rotatably attached to the supporting member substantially parallel to the first shaft, 2, series of circular members eccentrically and rotatably attached to the actuating shaft, a plurality of actuating arms, there being one actuating arm for each surface engaging element, each actuating arm having one end thereof pivotally attached to one of the surface engaging elements and the other end thereof pivotally attached to one of the circular members, the circular members being arranged in successive positions longitudinally and angularly upon the actuating shaft, and means for rotating the actuating shaft.

3. An apparatus for performing work upon a surface, the combination comprising a frame provided with a, pivotally mounted supporting member, a first shaft carried by the supporting member, a plurality of surface engaging elements pivotally attached to the supporting shaft, an actuating shaft provided with a series of members eccentrically mounted thereon, the actuating shaft being rotatably carried by the supporting member substantially parallel to the first shaft, a plurality of actuating arms, there being one actuating arm for each surface engaging element, each actuating arm having one end thereof pivotally attached to one of the surface engaging elements and the other end thereof pivotally attached to one of the eccentric members, the eccentric members being arranged in successive positions longitudinally and angularly upon the actuating shaft, and means for rotating the actuating shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 349,122 Remers Sept. 14, 1886 1,716,661 Pappas June 11, 1929 2,197,549 Hargrave et a1 Apr. 16, 1940 2,211,277 La Mere Aug. 13, 1940 2,223,213 Kersten Nov. 26, 1940 2,245,544 Miller June 10, 1941 2,345,425 Phillips Mar. 28, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,113 Austria Sept. 10, 1902 

